Love One Another

Exodus 23:1-10 “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. 2 Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit. 4 If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it. 6 Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. 8 Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous. 9 Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.”
 
THESE verses help us understand what Jesus meant when he summarized the law: Matthew 22:37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
     One who obeys such laws as in this scripture today demonstrates a real love for others. Note the laws include how to be kind to people who hate you –  your enemies. Note you demonstrate love to others when you care for their animals. Loving others includes treating them fairly and never lying about them or to them. You honor aliens – those from another country or those who live in different cultures than you. Live in integrity with one another, being honest and encouraging.
     The Law of Moses as the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, are called, gave to the Jews an understanding of God’s character. Obeying the Law, the Jews carried the image of God into the world. Their obedience would demonstrate God’s love, grace, power and justice to his world.
     This is still very true in our Christian walk today. Jesus’ teachings were designed to help the Jews then and all the world since then truly see God.
     The Law is God’s loving ways for his people to live at peace and in love with each other thousands of years ago. God’s Word remains unchanged. Learn the law and live in love.  
 
LIFE Link: Love God. Love one another. It’s God’s law.